Knitting machine and pattern mechanism



June 29 1926. 1,590,295

K. HOWlE KNITTING [MCHINE AND PATTERN MECHANISM Filed August 6. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet In uenfar:

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June 29 1926.

K. HOWIE KNITTING MACHINE AND PATTERN MECHANISM Filed August 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet [nuen for:

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K. HOWIE KNITTING MACHINE AND PATTERN MECHANISM Filed August 6, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A 3 NV Ingeni'or:

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June 29,1926. 1,590,295

I K. HOWIE KNITTING MACHINE AND PATTERN MECHANISM Filed August 6. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 \il 11 e s/ v I ;s

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Patented June 29, 1926.

ATENT OFFICE.-

KENNETH nowIE, 0P NORBISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNon T0 wiLmiiAN MFG. 00., or NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING MACHINE AND PATTERN MECHANISM.

Application filed August 6, 1924. Serial No. 730,462.

The invention is intended to produce tubular rib fabric having prescribed designsin colors, such as f01 'g0lf hose tops.

The accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification shows in Fig. 1 an elevation of a portion of the head ofa circular knitting machine with my invention associated therewith, parts being in section.

Figs. 1 and 1 are views of details re: lating to the needle cylinder cams.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine enibodying the invention. I

Fig. 2 is a view of a detail with parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of part of-the yarn changing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is 'a view of a detail.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of-a part of the needle-cylinder and partsof the jacquard or pattern mechanism in ele-' vation. 1

Fig. '5 is a plan view of cams carried by the rotary cam box of the machine.

Fig. 6 shows one of the jacks for the cylinder needles, in side and front view.

Figs. 7 and 8 show details.

The machine is a two-feed one andp'rovided with cylinder and dial needles for making rib fabric, and it is of the station arv needle carrier type. It is rovided with the usual cams in the dial.

der needles are operated by cams in the rotary cam box when said needles are set into position to be engaged by. said cams.

this setting action being performed by jacquard mechanism. Each cylinder needle has a jacquard connection leading thereto, whereby it is individually controlled to knit or not to knit, according as the pattern de mands.

This jacquard connection'includes a bell crank lever 1, one for each cylinder needle. These bell crank levers are ivoted at 2 to the fixed frame of the machine and their horizontal arms engage the lower ends of the cylinder needles or jacks 1 connected with said needles; The upper arms of these bell crank levers are connected with a series of ull bars '3, there beingone of these for eac of the cylinder needles. These pull bars are arranged in separated groups disosed about the machine and in the instance illustrated, where we will suppose that the machine has seventy-two. cylinder needles,

T e cylinthere will be eighteen of the bell cranks and their pull bars 3 in each group. The groups are disposed on'lines radial to the knitting head, there being "four groups in this instance.

The pullbars are operated by a recipros eating push bar 4 when said pull bars are in elevated position. They are raised to this position individually by pins 5 controlled by a lifter plate 6 and by openings 7 ii 1 the paper pattern band which is caused to travel step b step'as hereinafter described to bring itsopeningsto an opening 8 in the fixed ;plate .or platform 9, supported-in stationary position from a brack- The ins are guided in a fixed bar 10 held by a p ate 11 on the fixed bracket 12.

When an opening 'in the pattern band registers with the opening 8 in the fixed platform 9, the corresponding pin or pins will drop .into said openings when the pins are lowered by the downward movement of the lifter plate 6 and the pull bars will lower out of range of the push bar 4, but '99 when an imperforate part of the pattern band comes over the opening 8 the corresponding pin or pins will be held up, despite the lowering movement of the lifter plate 6. and consequently the pull bars, corresponding to these rai-sedpins, will also be held up with their shoulders 13 in the path of the reciprocating push bar 4:, so that when this moves forward (to the right in Fig. 4) or outward in respect to the center of the machine, the elevated pull. bar or bars will be operated, thus turning the bell crank' or bell cranks 1 and elevating the cylinder needles partway, which thus have for casting off when the needle is retracted by the stitch cam.

Y The lowering of any pull bar or bars consequent upon the pin or pins 5 belonging thereto entering one of the ,holes in the pattern band, will cause this bar or bars to remain idle and their corresponding needles will not be elevated into the path of the knitting cams. This will be due to the fact that when lowered the shoulders 13 of thepull bars are below the path of movement of the push bar 4, and consequently they will not be operated thereby.

The push bar 4 slides in guide-ways 14 of the fixed bracket 12. It is operated by links 15, one "at each side of the group of pull bars. Theselinks are pivoted at 16 to arms 17, one at each end of a rocker 18 mounted to turn on a rod 19 supported in the brackets 20. This rocker has an arm 21 provided with a roller 22 to be operated by a cam segment 23 fixed to the travelling base 24 of, the rotary cam box 24, having the gear 24 mounted thereon. The rocker.-

18 also has an arm 25 extending down therefrom and pressed by a spring 26 seated in a pocket of the fixed base of the machine.

The lifting of the roller 22 by cam segment 23 pushes the bar 4 outwardly to operate any one or more of the pull bars which are in elevated position and the spring 26 restores the parts when a low part of the cam segment gets beneath the roller 22; The pin lifting plate 6 is pivoted at 6 to the main bracket 12 and it is operated by an arm 27 pivoted to an arm 23 on the shaft of the plate. The arm 27 is fixed to a rock shaft 29 mountedinthe brackets 20, and this rock shaft has an arm 30 borne upon by a pin 31 guided in an opening in'the base of the brackets 20. This pin is operal ed upon by a cam segment or face 23, rotating with the cam box and forming the peripheral face of the cam member 23 before referred to. This cam 23 lifts the plate 6 with the pins 5 so that the drum or wheels carrying the perforated endless jacquard paper band can be moved ahead one step by the pawl and ratchet hereinafter described, and this lifting action takes place after the cam 23 has acted on theroller 22 to move the push bar 4 forward.

The plate 6 and arm 28 will fall by gravity when the low part of cam 23 is opposite the pin 31, and this is the position of the parts shown in the drawings. The paper pattern band is operated step by step by toothed wheels. 32 having teeth 33 to engage a row of feedopenings along each edge of the band. These wheels are on the shaft 34 and this shaft is driven step by step by a pawl 35 on an arm 36 pivoted at 37 to the main bracket 12. This arm is operated by an adjustable connection or link 38 and bell crank 39 pivoted at 40 and having a roller 41 to be acted on by a cam segment 2 3 arranged similarly and concentric to 23 on the base of the rotary cam box. This mechanism throws the pawl 35 back for a new movement. A spring 42 actually performs the feeding movement of the drums or wheels and the pattern band. A detent 43 holds the wheels against retrograde movement. This detent engages depressions in a detent wheel 43".

lVhere the holes occur in the paper pattern band the cylinder needles corresponding to said holes do not knit, because where these holes occur the pins 5 will lower, together with their corresponding pull bars, and the bell crank levers 1 belonging to these. lowered elements will not be operated by the push bar 4 and therefore the appropriate cylinder needles will not be raised into the path of the needle raising cam of the cylinder. Of course where the cylinder needles do not knit welt fabric will be formed on the dial needles.

Where the line of holes extending transversely across theendless paper band is broken with intact portions of said band appearing where some of the pins will rest thereon, the effect will be to knit a series of portions of welt interspersed with rib fabric.

*There are two sets of cams 23, 23, 23 so that there are two movements of the pattern mechanism for each revolution of the machine, the machine having two feeds, as before stated.

The machine is equipped with a main yarnfeed F and a second yarn-feed at which there is 'a yarn changing mechanism. This yarn changer feeds different colors to the vneedles of the rib machine.

The yarn changer comprises yarn fingers 44, 45, pivotally mounted at 44 to swing in a horizontal plane towards and from the needles. They are operated by -a striker cam A supported at a fixed oint on the base of the machine, but adjusta 1e verticall as hereinafter described to different elevations to be in the path of traveljof'either one of the yarn changer fingers or the other.

T e yarn changer 'fingers are pressed by springs, one of which is shown at 47 in an outward direction. When movedto their innermost positions close to the needles they are held in this position respectively by vertically movable detents 51 and 54, which are normally pressed upwardly by springs, one of which is shown at 55, Fig. 2. The yarn changer fingers are provided with extensions or fingers 50, which, as the fingers to release the yarn fingers by'plungers 53 having bevelled inner ends to work against tension of the returnspring 57 bearing against the depending arm of the lever 57.

' The plunger'57 is operated by a plunger 52,

which is operated by the striker cam b. The yarn changer fingers, with their detents and plungers for o crating the latter, and the yarn cutters an clamp device, to-

gether with the lever and plungers for operating said cutter and clamp, are all carried by a bracket 58 attached to the rotary cam box of the knitting head to travel therewith around the needle circle.

S'e'guence of operations in changing yam.-First the tappet. cam plate A is lifted so that its projection a1 is in the path of the yarn finger 44, which is out of service.

This yarn finger, by hitting the projection 01, will be swung inwardly. A leaf spring on the yarn finger is the immediate part which hits projection at This yarn finger will now present its yarn to the needle, the final end of this am being .held in the clamp and cutter C and remaining so until this new yarn is taken by the needles. As soon as this finger has been set in all the way, the pin or projection 50 thereon is caught by the detent 51 to retain the finger in this feeding position. The yarn finger 45 which has been feeding continues in action, being still held by its own detent.

The next thing that takes place as the machine rotates in the arrow direction is that the push pin 52 hits the cam connected with cam A to be adjusted vertically therewith, and the yarn clamp opens to release the new yarn end which has just been placed by finger 44 to be taken by the needles and for receiving the other yarn which is now about to be withdrawn from the needles, cut andclamped, until called for again. The next action that takes place is the push pin 53 strikes the cam 12 and retracts detent pin 54 and this releases the yarn finger 45, which flies to idle position under pressure of its spring 47 and withdraws its yarn from the needles. This yarn will now enter the shear and clamp. The tappet cam plate A is cut away or recessed at 0 to receive the leaf spring at the back of the operated yarn finger to relieve friction; The cam edge has a high part at d which maintains the yarn finger in its feeding position despite the fact that its detent has been retracted due to the push pin traversing the edge of cam 72. The clamp and cutter close as soon as push pin 52 passes off from the camb at shoulder e and the withdrawn yarn now remainsclamped and held by the retracted yarnfinger .45. As soon as the other push pins ridqpfl' from cam b at shoulder 6 their corresponding detents snap up and are in positi, I hold that one of'the fingers which sffadvance'd to feeding position by engagingw'ith.

its pin 50, it being understood that'up to this time .the feeding finger has been held in feed ing position by the cam edge d. The parts remain in this position until the next change of yarn is 'to be made, for throwing in another color.

The cam plate A is carried by a post 60, adjustable vertically in a bracket 61 secured to the stationary base of the machine.-

The post has a pin 62 overlying a pattern controlled lifting lever 63' pivoted at 64 to a fixed bracket 65 and having a finger 66 in the path of movement of projections \or high and low links 67, 68 of the yarn changing pattern chain 69. This chain passes over a sprocket wheel 70 journalled in a pin 71 of the bracket 65. The sprocket wheel is moved step by step by a pawl 7 2 on a lever 73 pivoted at 74 to the fixed frame.

This pawl engages a ratchet wheel 75connected with the/sprocket wheel. The lever 73 is operated from a cam 76 carried by the gear 24 within the fixed base of the inachine which rotates the cam box. A pin 7 7 slidable in an opening in the base communi cates movement from .the cam to the lever 73. The lever is also pressed by a spring plunger 78. When the high link 67 acts .upon the finger 66 the lever 63 will raise the post 60 and cam plate A to'its upper limit, where it will be held by a detent'79 snapping under pressure of its spring 80" by posts 82, 83, will 'also be raised to be in the path of the push pins, as above described, to effect the yarn change and the operation of the cutter and clamp.

As soon as. the yarn changing mechanism gets past cam plate -.A, a striker 84 fixed to the cam box will hit the detent 79 and release it from the post 60, which together with the cam plates A and b will fall to idle position. When the next change of yarn is to take place the low link 68 will operate lever 63 and raise the cam late only part way, i. e., so that the detent 9 will fall into the firstor high notch 81, and this will hold the cam late A in line with the lowermost one of t e yarn fingers. The plate I) is fto wide enough to align with the push pins, whether raised all the way or only part way up.

After the yarn changing has been effected with the post raised onl part way up, the detent 79 is released, as efore, to allow the cam plates A and b to drop to idle position,

front end of the raising cam is inclined at 0 so that if for any reason a needle is misplaced and its butt aligns with the point of this cam, it will strike the inclined part 0 and the cam will recede into its recess to allow the needle to pass and thus avoid -a jam. The spring 11. returns the cam block and cam to normal position as soon as the misplaced needle passes it.

The cylinder needles are operated by acks g and the bell crank levers 1 have their lower arms disposed to lie beneath these jacks. The jacks slide in the needle'grooves of the needle cylinder. They have recesses 7', s, in their front edges with a projection t between these recesses. There is a spring band it seated in a circumferential groove of the needle cylinder which controls the action of the jacks. When a jack is lifted by the pattern mechanism its projection t passes the spring band which then acts to hold the jack in this elevated position with the needle up in the plane of the needle raising cam, and the jack remains in this position until the. stitch cam throws the needle down again, which in turn forces the jack down, so that its projection t gets below the spring band a and the jack is then free to assume its normal lowermost position.

In. the drawing, plan view, the machine has been turned to an angular position for convenience of illustration.

The axis of the drive shaft would be on the line 0000 and consequently point G would be the front of the machine.

The machine shown hastwo feeds but theinvention is not limited to this number of feeds. The machine can be fitted with a striper at each feed if desired. 1

Certain features shown herein relating to the yarn changing mechanism are made the subject of a divisional application filed March 18,1926, Ser. No. 95,611.

I claim: 1. In combination in a circular knitting machine, pull bars movable horizontally in the direction of their length, bell crank levers having vertically extending arms and horizontally extending arms, and to the bar and the pattern-band carrier,'and a laterally facing cam on the said rotary base for operating the pin moving means, said bell cranks having their horizontal arms extendin beneath the needles, substantially as descri ed.

2. In combination in a circular knitting machine, pull bars movable horizontally in the direction of their length, bell crank levers having vertically extending arms and horizontally extending arms, and to the ull bars vertically extending arms of which the pull bars are pivoted to have vertical swinging movement, pins on which the free ends of the bars rest, means for moving the pins vertically having a slip joint connection,

therewith, a perforated pattern band for determining the up or down position of the pins, a carrier therefor, a horizontally movable push bar for operating the ull bars when moved vertically into line 1; erewith, the horizontal arms of said bell cranks extending under the needles, a' cam on the upper face of the rotary base of the machine,

a bell crank lever operated thereby for moving the push bar horizontally, a' second cam on the upper face of the rotary base, a

'bell crank operated thereby for operating the pattern band carrier, a cam on the lateral face of the rotary base and a bell crank operated thereby for o crating the pin moving means, substantial y as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

KENNETH HOWIE. 

